UAE VASP License Tracker

Five regulators, five different licensing regimes. Each requires a distinct licensing pathway, timeline, and capital structure. VARA - Regulates Dubai Mainland and Dubai Economic free zones World's first dedicated virtual asset regulator, established under Dubai Law No. 4 of 2022. Covers all Dubai activity outside DIFC

Three structural trends stand out in this data. First, Broker-Dealer is the most frequent VARA-licensed activity type, accounting for ~45% of recorded licensed activities and reflecting how global exchanges structure their UAE entry, trading facilitation first, full exchange infrastructure later. Second, institutional

As of April 2026, over 100 entities hold virtual asset licences across VARA (45), ADGM/FSRA (25+), DFSA/DIFC (10+), and CBUAE (3+). This has grown rapidly since the first ADGM licence in 2019.

VARA regulates Dubai mainland VA activity (outside DIFC). ADGM/FSRA is the regulator of Abu Dhabi Global Market — a common law free zone that was first globally with a VA framework in 2018. DFSA regulates the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) under its own common law jurisdiction. CBUAE is the federal central

Typically 6–18 months from initial engagement to a full VASP licence, depending on the business model's complexity and the applicant's documentation readiness. The process has two stages: Approval to Incorporate (ATI) then the full VASP Licence application. NeosLegal has guided 300+ projects through this process since

VARA regulates eight activities: Advisory, Broker-Dealer, Custody, Exchange, Lending and Borrowing, Management and Investment, Transfer and Settlement, and VA Issuance (Category 1). Any entity conducting these activities in or from Dubai must be licenced before commencing operations.